Photo Credit: Mr Miyagi via Compfight cc

Just in case you haven’t heard of it either I’ll run it down for you.  It’s a patchy, scaly, crusty thing that happens on a baby’s head usually in the first three months of life.  My son Frumpkin had it; it’s a little like stubborn dandruff and probably doesn’t bother the child as much as the parent looking for a way to stop it.

Use oil.  If you make your baby lotion, you might have some coconut oil if you don’t have any you can use regular Olive Oil on a baby’s scalp.  Rub it on and leave alone for a couple of hours.  Then wash off with your Castile soap and water foaming mixture (click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about).  Use a soft-bristled baby brush to exfoliate if you and your baby are comfortable with it.  Otherwise, you can sort of… flake it off with your fingers.  Lather rinse repeat as necessary.

Oat Sock:  Take a smallish sock from your drawer, push a handful of raw oatmeal inside and knot the sock tightly closed.  Run under warm water until damp and sort of ‘polish’ the baby’s head in a circular motion until you notice that the oats have turned ‘milky’.  It may form a lather.  The oats, as anyone with a memory of chicken pox can tell you, eases skin irritation and loosens the cradle cap. This can be brushed or flaked away later.

Or, like I did with my daughter Pumpkin…  ignore it.  It’s not harmful, and it will go away.